Quick connect electrical grounding rod clamp



1966 A. J. NOKER ETAL 3,268,853

QUICK CONNECT ELECTRICAL GROUNDING ROD CLAMP Filed May 20, 1964 INVENTORS. Alvin J. Noker Corydon S. Bogley,

United States Patent 3,268,853 QUICK CONNECT ELECTRICAL GROUNDING ROD CLAMP Alvin J. Noker, Bountiful, and Corydon S. Bagley, Salt Lake City, Utah, assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed May 20, 1964, Ser. No. 369,027 1 Claim. (Cl. 339 -264) Our invention relates to an electrical grounding rod clamp which can be quickly and easily connected and disconnected.

In the use of military and other types of equipment in severely cold climates, a need exists for an electrical ground rod clamp that will enable the user to make the necessary electrical grounding connections quickly, without hand tools, while the operator Wears arctic mittens. The clamp must be capable of making the connection many times and be designed for repeated use, since it is used with mobile equipment. It is also desirable to have the clamp remain on the end of the grounding wire, to have no loose parts, to make the clamping operation as simple as possible, and to reduce the cost of manufacturing to a minimum.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an electrical ground rod clamp which is rugged and simple in construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electrical grounding rod clamp which enables the user to make the grounding connection quickly and without tools.

A further object of this invention is to provide an electrical ground rod which can be used repeatedly.

Still other objects of this invention are to provide an electrical grounding rod clamp that remains at the end of a grounding wire when the clamp is removed from a grounding rod and to provide an electrical grounding rod clamp that has no loose parts that may be lost.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is an elevational side view of the electrical grounding rod clamp, and

FIGURE 2 is an elevational side view of the electrical grounding rod clamp oriented 90 from the position illustrated in FIGURE 1.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of our invention, numeral 1 designates a hook jaw element which includes a U-shaped member 3 and a threaded stem 5. Threaded stem 5 is connected to one side of U-shaped member 3 and the other side of the U-shaped member defines a jaw 4. A U-shaped bracket 7 is received on the threaded stem 5. U-shaped bracket 7 has stepped jaw means 9 which coact with jaw 4 to clamp rod 11 therebetween.

Patented August 23, 1966 Clamp jaw 4 has a cut-out portion to define sharp edges 13. The sharp edges 13 and the stepped jaw means 9 serve as means for positively biting into the ground rod 11 and making a good grounding connection when clamped.

The threaded stem 5 also receives an electrical terminal connector 15 and a washer 17 thereon. A wing nut 19 is threaded onto threaded stem 5, and threaded stem 5 is peened at 21 or otherwise provided with a pin or other means (not shown) to prevent wing nut 19 from being removed from threaded stem 5.

After the electrical ground clamp has been assembled, the electrical ground connection may be made by simply positioning U-shaped member 3 around ground rod 11 and tightening wing nut 19.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of our invention, or the scope of the su-bjoined claim.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

An electrical ground clamp including: a hook jaw element, said hook jaw element being defined by a U-shaped member and a threaded stem connected to one side of the U-shaped member, the other side of said U-shaped member having a cut-out portion in the jaw thereof definingsharp edges; a U-shaped bracket mounted on said threaded stem, said U-shaped bracket including stepped jaw means; an electrical terminal connector mounted on said threaded stem; a Wing nut threaded onto said threaded stem; andsaid threaded stem including means to prevent removal of the wing nut, whereby when said Wing nut is tightened to clamp said U-shaped bracket relative to said hook-jaw element, said electrical terminal c0nnector will be clamped between said U-shaped bracket and said wing nut and said stepped jaw means and said sharp edges will be forced into a ground rod when therebetween to make a good grounding connection between the ground rod and said electrical terminal connector.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,764,380 6/1930 Allen 24135 1,981,685 11/1934 Blackburn et 'al. 24-135 2,116,474 5/1938 Bondeson 339-264 X 2,225,947 12/1940 Barron 24-135 2,468,907 5/1949 Wilson et 211. 2,913,699 11/1959 Cushenberry 339263 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,251,664 12/1960 France.

279,077 2/ 1952 Switzerland.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Examiner.

P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

